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Ironically, in the initial reviews before pricing was known, it was assumed that Potenza would be an affordable alternative to Chorus.

You could buy 5 - 105 cassettes for less than one Potenza.

Potenza is still only sold by a few shops, prices wil be better soon.Here in my country I see Chorus cassettes starting at 90 to 115 euro and Potenza for 115 to 130 euro.The pricedifference is because Chorus became cheaper.Just the first shop I looked to, not even the cheapest. (prices are with vat)

Ironically, in the initial reviews before pricing was known, it was assumed that Potenza would be an affordable alternative to Chorus.

You could buy 5 - 105 cassettes for less than one Potenza.

Potenza is still only sold by a few shops, prices wil be better soon.Here in my country I see Chorus cassettes starting at 90 to 115 euro and Potenza for 115 to 130 euro.The pricedifference is because Chorus became cheaper.Just the first shop I looked to, not even the cheapest. (prices are with vat)

Also bringing in 105 is a bit odd.

Why?

Would it make it better if I said the cassette was three times the price of Ultegra?

Here is the summary of the Velonews review

The bottom linePerhaps comparing Potenza to its higher-end siblings is unfair. Campy has positioned it to compete with Ultegra, so the most accurate comparison would be against the Japanese companyâ€™s second-tier group.

But Potenza is no Ultegra. Itâ€™s more like a 105-level group in terms of performance, yet the price doesnâ€™t match up: Potenzaâ€™s $1,000 price tag is high compared to Shimanoâ€™s 105 group at $538. If we were to choose a Campagnolo group to compete with Ultegra, it would be Chorus.

Just an interpretation of a magazine . . . Mentioned prices are way off.And no Ultegra and Chorus are not on the same level. Chorus is above Ultegra.Besides the fact the TS compares Potenza with Chorus and wants information about that.Shimano 105 is not part of the conversation.

I dont know what the quality of the Potenza cassettes will be but Chorus or 105 cassettes are a different league.Also you stuck at the cassettes while we speak about a whole group and the corresponding price differences.

Potenza is the replacement of Athena group. Athena uses the Chorus cassettes, there were no 11-speed cassettes lower than Chorus and that was with a reason . . . Potenza now has its own line of cassettes and on some term you can expect they will be cheaper than Chorus.

Velonews writes:

Potenzaâ€™s $1,000 price tag is high compared to Shimanoâ€™s 105 group at $538

and then at final

Potenzaâ€™s a solid option, but in order to be a viable Shimano competitor, it may need to be priced about $200 less.

What are the differences between Potenza and Chorus cassettes. I am looking for an 11-25 for my Potenza 11 bike. The Chorus only cost $2 more than Potenza on Chain Reaction.

I presume Chorus is a few grams lighter but thatâ€™s not even clear. Iâ€™m more concern with shifting quality/speed and durability (especially corrosion resistance) as this is going on a bike Iâ€™ll keep at summer beach house and ride infrequently (maintain less frequently).

There are now Centaur 11sp cassettes which are a bit cheaper still. The largest 2 or 3 sprockets are a unit, the rest are loose. I kind of believe all the Campag cassettes offer exactly the same shifting performance, I haven't detected any difference anyway. More expensive = less weight though.

Chorus 2018 offers a medium cage but you use the potenza cassette. Centaur cassettes are heavier but interchangeable. Centaur cassettes have a cheaper surface treatment. There might be s difference in the steel used too.

Earlier someone said Merlin is the only shop selling potenza. Your Websearching skills need some work.

Campagnolo kit is more expensive than ultegra but campagnolo are not making potenza to a price point either.

Campagnolo shifter for me anyway are much nicer to rest my hands on. That alone mean I will buy campagnolo over Shimano. Then there is a bunch of hidden stuff. The bottom bracket for example may cost more but you just replace the bearings not the cups. The bearings for last longer as well.

Campagnolo cables last longer than Shimano cables and don't fray in the shifters either. Certainly not as frequently anyway. The cables are made from highly austenitic steel which is only very weakly attracted to a strong magnetic.

Campagnolo chains wear at a slower rate than the kmc made Shimano chains.

So while ultegra may ÂŁ600 on my site, potenza is not much more. That however is internet pricing. Both groupset should be more of expensive as there is almost no profit in them now.

Chorus is a top tier group without the titanium.

I don't think comparing potenza to ultegra or 105 tells you much. They are different, employ different technologies.

Shimano is cheaper primarily because big online retailers buy it from oem suppliers out side the normal distribution channels. There is over supply too which pushes down prices. Campagnolo equipment is more pricey simply because more of it is bought through distributors. Potenza cassettes are not specced as much oem so they end being more expensive than chorus cassettes which has better availability through oem suppliers. I thinks that's the best explanation.

This thread has just highlighted the lack of knowledge about the difference between groupset and how they are distributed.

Pricing is down to supply Vs demand and distribution. Cost of production is only one factor.

So bottom line is:
-- Shifting is basicly the same for all levels, and they're fully interoperable across the lower end and higher end Ultrashift groups.
-- Chorus is marginally lighter, cosmeticly better finished, and no less durable (unlike Ti Record/SR which wear 2x faster). So for cassettes where Chorus is only a few bucks more, go with Chorus.
-- Biggest problem with Centaur for me, is I personally don't need an 11-29 or 11-32 cassette because I'm a strong climber and don't ride in the Alps. I like 11-25 with compact, and 12-27 or 12-29 with my mid-compacts... love my 16T cog.